Bella Notte
by pretendings
Summary: Bella was taken by the Volturi at the ripe age of 18 for her unusual gift. Edward was sick of his monstrous ways and wished to die. What happened when the two were thrown together? Nothing that anyone could have foreseen. AU
1. Prologue

**Twilight isn't mine. This little version of it's world is.**

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The chains that bind us the most closely are the ones we have broken.  
_-Antonio Porchia_

The trio sat before us, silently communicating with each other. Their quiet army stood anxiously behind them, tensed for a battle that they knew they could lose. They were outnumbered, not in number but in talent. They knew that I was the queen of this game. I held all the power here and I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had to.

I stole a sideways glace at my companion, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. In return, I was rewarded a tight-lipped smile that, while it lasted only seconds, still managed to steal my breath away. It amazed me how I could only know a person for two weeks and yet already be willing to risk everything for them. After all, I had a pretty nice life before I ever met him. As long as I did what I was told, I got to do what I pleased. But now that my life was more than just myself, I was no longer satisfied with my previous arrangement.

His family formed a loose line behind us, ready to help should things turn sour. It was a foreign feeling, having people on your side for no other reason other than they wanted to be. In my old life, you had to watch your back not only for your enemies, but also for your allies. For people who would only be too willing to kill you so they could get ahead.

I instinctively knew the people at my back would defend us if necessary. I knew it as much as I knew that I couldn't live without the man on my right, who clasped my hand and rubbed my skin with his thumb in a small, calming gesture.

I will protect these people. I will cast myself around them so that they are safe.

After a few tense moments, the trio finally came to an agreement. My old master looked into my eyes with a sad smile. I had been his favorite "child"; the crown jewel (a fact that his other "children" despised). I knew how much it hurt him to see me turn against him. But he knew from the start that things could end like this. He knew I was a loose canon, entirely out of his control.

I scrutinized his face, looking for the telltale signs that things were about to get unpleasant. Everyone in the room waited with baited breath. A pin drop would have sounded like a gong.

And then he sighed.

We were screwed.

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**A/N:** Was that vague enough for you? Don't worry, it probably won't be this vague ever again. But you'll have to stay tuned to find out for sure.  
Huge thanks to my awesome beta, gleeglee.

Reviewers increase their chances at winning the lottery.


	2. Chapter One

**Twilight isn't mine. This little version of it's world is.

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**

Once upon a time, I thought I was alive. From the years 1987 to 2006, I grew up and did normal human things. Mundane things, like learning to ride a bike, falling out of a tree and breaking my leg, and getting to second base with my high school crush, Mike Newton. I resented my parents, just like every other teenager known to man, and I thought I was invincible. I took so much shit for granted because I was naïve enough to think that nothing could ever be taken away from me.

On June 22nd, 2006, I was taken by two men in black robes as I backpacked across Italy the summer before I would have started college. I was brought before three ancients, and I was turned. I was given immortality and all the other things I never dared to wish for before. Money, power, respect; it was all mine.

Gone was quiet little Isabella Marie. She died that day, and I rose like a phoenix from her ashes.

My name is Bella Swan, and I'm a vampire.

XXX

And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but the truth in a masquerade.

-_Lord Byron_

"Ah Bella, you are a vision. You truly do live up to your name, _cara_ _mia_," Aro declared from behind me.

"You're too kind," I replied demurely, though I knew he was right. I inspected my reflection in the giant gilded mirror in front of me and was quite pleased with what I saw. All eyes would be on me tonight, and not just because I was the only person allowed to wear red.

"There is just one more thing you need in order to reach perfection," he drawled. I spun around to face him as he pulled a velvet drawstring bag out from the folds of his formal robes.

"I can't accept gifts today! This is _your_ birthday, not mine. Give it to me tomorrow."

"Now, now, Bella," he chastised. "You know it is rude to refuse a gift. Besides, seeing this on your neck _tonight _would bring me great happiness."

I considered for a moment as he dangled the satchel in front of my eyes teasingly. He was baiting me, knowing that my curiosity could often get the better of me. I quirked my lips into a smile and gave in, quickly snatching my prize out of his hand. "Well, if you insist…"

I loosened the strings and carefully poured the contents of the small bag into my awaiting palm. It was a simple, yet extravagantly large, diamond necklace - it must have been at least 8 carats - on an understated gold chain. It was perfect.

"Oh Aro, it's stunning," I breathed, meaning every word. Aro had an obsession with beautiful and rare things, and I knew that this necklace definitely fit that description. I touched the smooth facets of the mammoth stone, wondering how long he'd had it before he decided to give it to me.

"It once belonged to generations of French queens, all the way back to Marie Antoinette herself," Aro told me as he took the necklace out of my hands, gesturing for me to face the mirror once more. "It came into my possession in the year 1592 by way of a black market merchant who had stolen it out from under the royal family's nose." He gathered my hair and moved it to the side so he could fasten the chain's golden clasp at the base of my neck. The heavy stone hit the hollow of my collarbones and glinted under the soft light.

"I have held onto it since that time," he continued, "waiting to find someone worthy enough to wear it. And I believe I finally have."

I smiled at my reflection, pleased with my new jewel. "Thank you so much, Aro. It's exquisite."

"I am so glad that it pleases you, pet. Your gratitude is a great gift," he replied with a genuine smile.

Our moment was interrupted by two sharp, staccato raps on my door. A knock that assertive could only belong to one person.

"Ah yes, do come in Jane," Aro instructed. The door opened a crack and a small, blonde vampire darted in, closing the door behind her. She strode into the room confidently until she stood three feet to her master's back.

"Now, the festivities begin in five minutes, and the unveiling will be precisely three hours later," Aro informed me. "Take your time getting ready, Jane is here to help you should you need assistance." He kissed both of my cheeks as I smirked at Jane, knowing she hated being treated like my handmaiden.

"I have to go oversee the final preparations. Save your first dance for me, _bellezza_," he continued.

"Anything for the birthday boy," I quipped back. He gave a heartily laugh in return as he breezed out of my chambers to make sure everything was in order.

Once I knew he was out of hearing range, I turned to Jane. "Great dress. Who died?" I asked with a sickeningly sweet smile on my face. Her dress was severe, like everything else about her. No frills, no nonsense; just geometric lines and shapes. I know the dress code was all-black, but did she have to look so dour?

"Not everyone feels the need to be the center of attention. We leave that task to the idiotic and juvenile," she coldly replied, stalking over to a plush chair and perching on the edge of it. She was always hoping something would happen so she could jump up at a moment's notice and prove herself to her three masters, so she never wasted much time settling in. It was pathetic and I would have pitied her for it if she weren't such a bitch.

"I thought we were going to a masquerade, but that's not much of a costume and do you even _have_ a mask?" I goaded. Jane held up a plain black mask that was attached to an even plainer black handle. "Wow, look at you. Going all out, aren't we?"

Jane didn't answer my remark, choosing to go into 'vampire downtime' instead. She was as still as a statue - not breathing, not blinking, probably not even thinking. I could never understand why anyone would do this. Imagine all the things you could do if you didn't have to sleep and then double it. That's what I could do in a single evening. Why would anyone waste that time doing absolutely nothing?

I rolled my eyes in her direction and returned to admiring my dress. It was strapless with a full, layered skirt and a beaded bodice; old-fashioned without looking too dated. The rich, blood-red silk organza contrasted nicely against my creamy white skin and made my chocolate hair shine. I was a seductress, all elegance and grace with wild, untamed waves tumbling down my back.

I smiled a little as I brought my hand to my throat, laying it over the gem reverently. This gift was quite special indeed; proof that I was Aro's favorite. I would wear it proudly and everyone would know where I stood in the pecking order - at the top.

The small mantle clock behind me chimed quietly, indicating that our five minutes were up. I sighed a little dramatically and went to my vanity to fetch my mask, a long strip of black chiffon that had been doubled. It was extremely simplistic and wouldn't do much in obscuring my identity, but why would I want to hide who I was? A dress code was a dress code, however, so I had to wear _something_ over my eyes.

I cleared my throat and arched an eyebrow at Jane. "Help me with my mask, sister?"

Her eyes snapped up to mine in an instant. "You're not my sister," she bit out, rising from her chair.

I smiled. "Oh, I know we're not _blood_ relatives, if you'll excuse the pun, but we're together so often that we might as well be."

Jane approached me and took the sheer fabric from my hands, gesturing for me to sit on the upholstered bench in front of her. I obliged, once again faced with my reflection.

"I'd prefer it if you wouldn't call me that, regardless," her request sounding more like a command.

"Would you rather be called _piccola_ _ombra_?" I contemplated as she placed the mask over my eyes and brought it under my hair to tie. "After all, you _do_ follow me everywhere I go."

"I follow you for your own good. You're still new to this life and Aro would be devastated to lose you due to your own stupidity," she retorted.

"I didn't hear a objection, _mia_ _piccola_ _ombra_," I sang. I watched our reflections in the mirror as Jane rolled her eyes. She could only stand my attitude for so long, and I had a feeling she was near her breaking point.

"There," she tersely replied, turning away from me and walking towards the door.

"Jane dear, I think you're forgetting something." She turned back to me with an icy glare. "Your mask," I reminded her, pointing to where hers lay forgotten on a side table. "Can't have a masquerade without _una_ _mascher__a,_ can we?"

Jane rolled her eyes once more in my direction as she quickly retrieved her disguise and exited to the hallway. "No need to thank me, _piccola_ _ombra_. That's what sisters are for," I called after her, gathering my skirts to follow her out.

I closed my door behind me and turned to find Jane standing next to her far more enjoyable twin brother, Alec. He had yet to put his mask on, holding it in his hands instead. I smiled up at him, and he returned the gesture.

"You sure do know how to stand out, don't you, Bella?" he asked, admiring my dress.

"Why go through life unnoticed? I've earned the right to stand out," I replied, receiving a not-so-ladylike snort from Jane and a chuckle from her brother.

"Well," Alec said, placing his mask over his face and tying it behind his head. "Shall we?" He offered me his arm, and I took it. It was only fitting that Alec and I arrive together – we each held a power that the Volturi would be lost without. Besides, I knew it would piss Jane off.

We strolled down the torch-lit corridor, towards the grand staircase that would descend to the outer chambers of the white marbled hall where Aro, Marcus, and Caius ruled. It would of course be transformed into something more ostentatious and stunning tonight. After all, it's not every day that one of your leaders turns one thousand.

The staircase was littered with familiar figures, their faces concealed in a myriad of masks. As soon as Alec and I entered the hall, the guests parted to make way for us. I could feel their eyes watching me from behind their masks, taking in our every move. It was a satisfying feeling, being the center of attention. I stood out, a ruby in a room of onyx. I'm sure a few of the guests wondered why I was allowed to break the rules, but they should have known by now that I was above them.

I smiled pleasantly to my public as Alec lead Jane and myself down the staircase and through the heavy wooden doors of the Volturi's most inner chamber. The white marble room was lit with thousands of candles, making the cold stone appear warm and inviting. There wasn't much else by way of decoration - a few tables draped in lush velvets that proudly displayed food that no one would eat and wine that no one would drink. There were also chairs and lounges set strategically, should we decide to sit. Just because we didn't need these things didn't mean that we would be denied them.

Aro had hired a human quartet to play, and they were set up in the far recesses of the room. I licked my lips in their direction; they smelled delicious, but I didn't want to spoil my appetite for later. Besides, they were strictly off limits, as the guards that protected them illustrated. They plucked their strings with unease, their various predators spinning around the dance floor.

At the head of the festivities were our masters. Aro, Marcus, and Caius sat leisurely in their thrones, passively watching their subjects float from dance partner to dance partner. They would not be participating; they were entirely above it all.

Alec and I advanced towards the trio as Jane melted into the surrounding crowd, probably trying to find Felix or Demetri. I would join her later, but not before I was properly presented.

Aro smiled widely at the two of us as he stood from his throne. He gestured for the music to stop, and we were met with total silence as all eyes fell on us. I lived for moments like these.

"My two favorite children," Aro announced with a smile. I dropped to the floor at his feet in a curtsey while Alec bowed deeply. Aro kissed Alec's forehead and then held his hand out to me, helping me off the ground. He then leaned forward and kissed both of my cheeks adoringly.

"Happy birthday, Aro," Alec said with a small smile.

"Thank you very much, Alec. It is indeed a happy day," Aro graciously replied.

"I have a gift for you," I told him, summoning one of the nameless guards to me with the snap of my fingers. He came forward quickly, holding a large rectangular box in his arms. I took the parcel from him and passed it to Aro, who looked at it with curiosity.

"Now, it's not too much," I continued, "but I thought it seemed fitting. And I know it's something you've wanted for some time now."

He carefully lifted the lid of the box. Nestled inside was a black walking cane with a snake curved around the staff and a cobra head with ruby eyes mounted on the top. It had belonged to a lost king of Spain and Aro had coveted it since he first saw it in 1534. It had taken me an entire year to track down, but it was the least I could do for the man that had given me everything within his power to give.

"_Cara mia_! This is fantastic! However did you find it?"

"It's all about the people you ask, Aro, not that it didn't take a far amount of time to pin down. I hope you enjoy it."

Aro pressed a small button near the base of the cobra's head, revealing the hidden sword blade. He cut the weapon through the air several times before returning it to it's casing. "It is magnificent, Bella. I am truly pleased by your gift," Aro replied, kissing my forehead as our audience quietly applauded my success.

"Now," Aro said, clapping his hands together. "Let us have some music!" The quartet of humans started up a lively waltz and everyone resumed their celebrating.

Aro held his hand out to me. "I would be honored to be your first dance of the evening, Miss Swan."

I curtsied once more in return, accepting his hand. "The honor would be all mine."

Aro took me in his arms and we whirled around the floor, enjoying the music. I smiled, knowing that four years ago I would have never dreamed that I would be dancing with a king of sorts.

Aro retired from the floor after two turns with me, happy to watch his party unfold in front of him. I wasn't content with sitting idly, so I continued going from partner to partner, laughing as I went. I was having the time of my life, so to speak. Everyone wanted a dance with me and I was only too happy to oblige.

After several hours of endless dips and turns, I decided to take a break and find my two favorite guards, Felix and Demetri. I enjoyed annoying them almost as much as I enjoyed annoying Jane and they were far more fun to be around.

I scanned the room, searching for Felix's hulking frame and finally spotted him by the human quartet. I made my way through the crowd, reaching him quickly. I tapped his shoulder to get his attention, and as soon as he turned to face me I went into hysterics.

"Felix the cat? Really? You couldn't come up with something more original?"

"Why bother looking for a mask when you've got a built in costume idea? I can guarantee that I spent less time coming up with this than anyone else in this room," he replied, licking the back of his hand in a feline gesture.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "How are you enjoying blood bag duty?"

He shrugged. "They're not too tempting, luckily for them. Besides, I know Aro brought in some rare types for after the unmasking, so I'd rather wait."

"So, where's your better half?" I asked. Felix and Demetri were practically joined at the hip, but Dem was nowhere in sight.

"Jane commandeered him. Said she felt like a dance."

"Well that's… completely out of character for her," I replied with a bemused expression.

I finally spotted Demetri on the dance floor and waved him over to us. He obediently waltzed over, Jane in tow. He pushed his mask, a purple joker that covered his face, up on top of his head so he could talk.

"Well hello there, dove," he greeted me, kissing my cheek.

"Hello yourself, Dem. I like your mask," I joked, flicking one of its bells.

"Well, you know me." I laughed because he was the exact opposite of a joker – he was almost as serious as Jane. He and Felix balanced each other, which was probably why they made such a good team. When I first met them I was terrified of them, but they were both wrapped around my little finger now. They couldn't hurt me; they loved me too much.

The three of us were chatting, Jane once again fading into the background, when the mood of the party shifted. I could feel it; the shiver down my spine that said something was out of place. Everyone had suddenly gone on edge, bouncing their eyes back and forth from the large wooden doors to the seated trio.

"What's going on?" I whispered, feeling as tense as a wire.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out," came Felix's reply, all silliness forgotten.

A few seconds later, the doors flew open and two guards strode in with a captive trapped between them. They marched so purposefully towards the ancients that I barely got a good look at the poor soul who's life was about to get so much worse, but I did catch one thing.

Gold eyes.

XXX

_**cara**_ _**mia – my dear**_

_**bellezza – beautiful**_

_**(mia) piccola**_ _**ombra – (my) little shadow**_

_**una**_ _**maschera – a mask

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**_

**A/N:** Would that be considered a cliffhanger? Hmmm…  
Here's a link to a picture of everyone's masks and dresses and stuff. Basically anything that was described in this chapter. I'll try to do something like this every time. **http://i154(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/s260/annieohhhhyes/Bella%20Notte/BN01(dot)png**

You can thank gleeglee for this chapter. She was so mean to me when I wasn't writing so I would just to shut her up. AND she helped me clean things up so it was perfect. Yeah, she's pretty awesome.

HUGE thanks to AislingS, allstar12, ashkan00dle, , BookwormStrawberry, burninglightdustyshade, chris1210, clover-heaven, Crispy Anakin, Crystalxraine, DaisyFlower10, drtyler, en-glance, gleeglee, hyperballads, IfYouHadWings, , Leeshaann, lynn2008, Mastaspammip, merbear, miahdrake, mrscullenxo5, MyUnreliableMuse, Nashytakimi, NicoleFrederick, nomorethoughts, nothingXist5, radioactive77, raven1603, slckimster, smashtray, SoundsLikeAPersonalProblem, stolenxsanity, susanpr, TeamBedward, vapid19, wmsoundx, and Zenkindoflove for reviewing, story alerting, and favoriting me. Your encouragement and support really helped me kick my butt in gear and actually write (because trust me, I am the least motivated person I know). This chapter is for each one of you. I hope you all stick with me!

Reviewers are always the center of attention.


	3. Don't Get Excited, It's Just an AN

I know, I know. I've become one of "those" authors who update their story only to disappoint their readers because it's **not** a new chapter, but an author's note. I'm posting this because those of you who care enough about my story to have it on alert deserve to know the status on Bella Notte.

I am not flouncing. I have no intention of flouncing. To be honest, I love this story and could never get rid of it or leave it unfinished. I want this story to be told. But I'm a horrible writer. Seriously. I'm so completely unmotived that it's not even funny. It's why I gave up my dreams of writing professionally because I suck at deadlines. And it's not fair to string you guys along, waiting for updates that would happen months apart.

So what I'm going to do is finish it. Completely. It's looking like it will be no more than 20 chapters, and I want to have them all written. Once the story is complete, I'll go back to posting chapters, except this time they'll be on a schedule. I won't be leaving you hanging like I totally am right now.

If this pisses you off and you decide to flounce, I understand. Hiatuses suck and are irritating, but I promise that if you stick with me I WILL finish this. Cross my heart and hope to die. Just put this on alert and then forget it exists. I won't update it with another author's note, so there will be no more false alarms.

I love you all so much. You're all amazing and I really hope you stick around.

-Anne


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